1849. 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



155 



rant their use for agricultural purposes In r more I ffl 

 tensively than is now done. The salt which can be 

 orating sea water, will someday lie 

 exl 'iisivelv consumed as a fertilizer. Nor will the 

 salts extracted from the soil an 1 wasted in the liquid 

 excr< ic animals be always regarded 



as of so little value. 



AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. 

 BY 4SRICOLA. 



The subject which is now attracting much atten- 

 tion, not only in this State, but in many of the States 

 of our Union, is the education of farmers' sons for 

 their profession, that of Agriculture. The prejudice 

 which has too long twisted among farmers, and which 

 it must be admitted, has arisen from a wrong idea of 

 tih' e lucation proposed, is fast giving away to the light 

 which experience is bringing to bear upon this all im- 

 portant matter. No one thinks of preparing his son 

 to be a Physician, Attorney, or Divine, without pro- 

 viding the means for his acquiring a particular know- 

 ledge of the studies best calculated to prepare him for 

 the pursuit he is to follow. When we urge the same 

 considerations upon the farmer in regard to the edu- 

 cation. of his son, for the pursuit of Agriculture, it is 

 not unfrequently said — " What more is necessary 

 than to learn the lad in the field the routine of farm 

 labor — the practices which I have pursued as to the 

 manner of preparing my land — the time of sowing 

 and planting?" This is all important, and we advo- 

 cate no system of education that will dispense with 

 it. Suppose we should in the case of the physician 

 adopt the same rule. The young man, instead of pur- 

 suing a course of study by which he is familiarly and 

 thoroughly instructed in the complicated machinery 

 of the human body, the laws which regulate and gov- 

 e-n diseases, the peculiar nature and habits of disease; 

 begins at once to visit patients with the physician, 

 pays no attention to the teachings of science and the 

 researches of others; he might eventually acquire in- 

 formation that would be useful, but how much less 

 likely to be successful, than one who, in addition to 

 this practical education with his instructor at the bed- 

 side, had enjoyed the benefits of a thorough education 

 previous to entering upon the active duties of his pro- 

 fession. May it not safely be affirmed, that every 

 man in community would prefer the one who had 

 combined with practice, the thorough preparation of 

 himself by all the aids which science and the experi- 

 ence of others had afforded him? 



It can be hardly necessary in this day of light and 

 knowledge to attempt to show that there is much for 

 every farmer to learn from science, to aid him in his 

 work. The nature of soils, their constituent ele- 

 ments, their adaptation to particular crops, the quality 

 of manures as determined by analysis, the effect of 

 heat and cold upon vegetation, and many other things 

 which can be only certainly known through the agen- 

 cy of science. What, may it not be asked, is to pre- 

 vent every farmer who shall be thoroughly instructed 

 from availing himself for practical purposes of these 

 advantages? The researches which have been made 

 by scientific men, have developed many interesting 

 and important facts — and the time is not far distant 

 when many more will be brought to light, which will 

 greatly lessen the labors of the farmer, and enable 

 him with economy to adopt a system of farming that 

 will remunerate him liberally. 



Perhaps it may be asked, what system, if adopted 

 here, would thus aid the farmer? Without at this 



time giving what I suppose would be a system in ev- 

 ery respect v li calculated to accomplish such a 

 result, it may be sufficient to say — that a school to 



prepare young men for the duties that are to devolve 

 upon ; I as to give them a 



thorough course of education, combined with its prac- 

 tical adaptation to the entire work of the farm, even 

 in the most minute portions of labor. To accomplish 

 this, a farm of liberal extent must be connected with 

 the institution, where experiments could in the first 

 place be carefully made on some small portion of it, 

 and when satisfactorily tested, be carried into practice 

 in the general culture of the farm. An opportunity 

 must also be furnished of testing the qualities of dif- 

 ferent breeds of cattle, horses, sheep, and swine. 

 How little is now really known by the great body of 

 our farmers in relation to these matters. Who is 

 there, from actual trial and experiment, is prepared 

 to say which, of all the breeds of cattle, is best adapt- 

 ed to this State, for the Dairy or for the Shambles? 

 Has a trial and comparison been made between the 

 different breeds called Improved, and the Native Stock, 

 so that it can be said, this is the best for the farmers 

 of New-York? I answer, No. — And I would ask, is 

 it not important that these questions, so important to 

 the farming interest, should be determined? And 

 would not an institution, discreetly managed by a ju- 

 dicious, intelligent and thoroughly qualified practical 

 man, in time work out for us a solution of these ques- 

 tions? So, too, with regard to horses, sheep, and 

 swine — the above remarks are equally applicable. 



There are now in this State a large variety of grains 

 in use — each has its advocates — and yet is it not true 

 that it was decided there are seme varieties superior 

 to others, and better adapted probably to our climate 

 and soils? And where shall these questions be set- 

 tled mare satisfactorily and certainly than at an insti- 

 tution with a liberal farm, of different varieties of soils, 

 where a series of experiments could be carried on 

 with all the varied grains, for a term sufficient to test 

 their qualities in every respect ? There are other 

 matters all important to be ascertained, and which at 

 present are but little attended to, at least so far as the 

 great body of the farmers are concerned. I allude to 

 a rotation of crops, and application of manures, best 

 calculated to give profitable returns to the farmer, 

 while it secures to him the constant fertility of his 

 soil. Where could this be better ascertained than at 

 an institution where a series of experiments with dif- 

 ferent crops, in different rotations, and with varied 

 manures, carefully analyzed, could be carried out. In 

 each of these cases, time is necessary to obtain sa- 

 tisfactory results — and the State, at an institution of 

 this kind, could secure such results as would in the 

 end greatly add to the prosperity and success of the 

 farmer, in the management of his farm. 



Permit me to caution my readers. not to expect too 

 much at once from an institution in every respect 

 rightly adapted to the wants of the farmer. Time 

 will be required for it to develop its advantages. The 

 work of improvement is not the work of a day or of 

 a year. Experiments, to be useful, must be long con- 

 tinued, often repeated, before they can be relied upon 

 — and although a young man trained in an institution 

 thoroughly, will himself be prepared to do great good, 

 yet the great practical benefits to the farmer as to 

 the creneral course of his operations, both as to his 

 crops, manures and animals, must be a work of time- 

 — and cannot be hastily decided with safety. Time 

 for experiments to be thoroughly tested, time for ths 



HBBKS • -. 



